A new patch for Dragon Age: Origins updates BioWare's RPG to version 1.05. The new version addresses an issue with some DirectX 10 graphics cards and replaces the game's EA Download Manager authentication system for the Ultimate Edition with the system used by the Origin service. The download can be found on The Patches Scrolls.

Kastagir wrote on Nov 26, 2011, 16:07:Over the last 7-8 years that has been standard procedure for games that have been out for a year or more, but it may not be possible considering how the DLC authentication system for DA:O was designed. Another failure for Bioware.

Do Steam titles get their DRM removed after they've been out for a while? I'm worried that as leading titles (e.g. FNV, Skyrim) have a Steam requirement at launch that we will never see the DRM relaxed as the games age when released on a service like Steam.

No, Steam has never been patched out as far as I know. A few games have had the Steam requirement removed for sale elsewhere, like Velvet Assassin on GamersGate, but I don't think it has ever been patched out. It's probably in the contract for Steamworks that the developer not do so, since Valve want you booting up Steam and seeing the store page as often as possible.

Bioware devs have said on their forums that they have patches ready to go to remove DRM from their titles should the company ever shut down. I'm not sure why they can't just release them now though, it's not like the DRM is doing anything but annoying paying customers.

StingingVelvet wrote on Nov 26, 2011, 15:02:They should just be removing the DRM in general, rather than refining it. Same thing with Mass Effect, they released some DRM tweaks a couple years after the game came out... why? It was cracked literally years before. Just remove the DRM for your paying customers please.

Over the last 7-8 years that has been standard procedure for games that have been out for a year or more, but it may not be possible considering how the DLC authentication system for DA:O was designed. Another failure for Bioware.

Do Steam titles get their DRM removed after they've been out for a while? I'm worried that as leading titles (e.g. FNV, Skyrim) have a Steam requirement at launch that we will never see the DRM relaxed as the games age when released on a service like Steam.

They should just be removing the DRM in general, rather than refining it. Same thing with Mass Effect, they released some DRM tweaks a couple years after the game came out... why? It was cracked literally years before. Just remove the DRM for your paying customers please.

There are still a sizeable number of bugs in the game which the mod community took it upon themselves to fix. The fixes are simple enough, but Bioware apparently could never be bothered to implement them.

This "patch" took nearly 7 months to produce and fixes ZERO BUGS affecting gameplay. All it does is fix authentication issues that plagued the Ultimate Edition, presumably to make it a viable purchase. At the beginning of this patch "effort," a pair of Bioware people requested a list of the gameplay issues still plaguing the game. What are the odds that these never get addressed? And more importantly, two years after the game was released, isn't it just too late?

...and replaces the game's EA Download Manager authentication system for the Ultimate Edition with the system used by the Origin service.

Sorry, that is not quite right. The 1.05 patch installer will fix a bug with the EA Download Manager delivered version of the game. This would only occur if you had purchased the game from the EA store before the Origin service was launched. We have had this patch in Beta for some time and customers have used the earlier versions to resolve this problem. This problem no longer occurs if you buy the game through the Origin store.

There have been no changes to the game's authentication system. The good news is that we have fixed a number of DLC authentication issues in the update.